Tamim Iqbal left out as Bangladesh confirm World Cup squad
Four players from the Under-19 World Cup-winning team of 2020 have made it into the squad
Bangladesh's 2023 World Cup squad will be without one of their all-time best batters, Tamim Iqbal, who has been omitted due to a lingering back injury.
As per reports, Tamim had alerted the selectors about his injury concerns a few days ago, and although the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) did not officially clarify the reason for his exclusion, the announcement was delayed until after the third ODI between Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Tamim returned to international cricket on September 23, scoring 44 runs in the second ODI against New Zealand, marking his comeback after rescinding his retirement decision in July. However, he faced discomfort in his back, and the team's physios were working to aid his recovery. As a result, Tamim was rested, along with several other players, for the third game against New Zealand.
The rest of the Bangladesh squad follows an expected pattern, with Shakib Al Hasan leading as captain, Litton Das as his deputy, and Tanzid Hasan as the opening partner. Najmul Hossain Shanto takes the No. 3 position, while Shakib, Towhid Hridoy, and Mushfiqur Rahim form the middle-order.
Mahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan provide middle to lower-order batting options, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz is a flexible addition, batting in different positions based on match requirements.
The pace attack features Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan, while left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed secures a spot in the World Cup squad following impressive performances in the recent Asia Cup.
Notably, four players from the Under-19 World Cup-winning team of 2020 have made it into the squad: Hridoy, Shoriful, Tanzi, and Tanzim.
Tamim's exclusion from the World Cup squad strongly suggests that his ODI career with Bangladesh has come to an end. Despite being Bangladesh's leading run-scorer in ODIs and playing a pivotal role in securing their World Cup spot, injuries and allegations of unprofessionalism led to his initial retirement in July.
He reconsidered the decision at the request of the country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, but a prolonged break for back recovery eventually saw him relinquish the captaincy in August, with Shakib taking over leadership duties across all three formats.
World Cup Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das (vice-capt), Najmul Hossain Shanto, Towhid Hridoy, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Shoriful Islam, Nasum Ahmed, Mahedi Hasan, Tanzid Hasan, Tanzim Hasan, Mahmudullah
